Little Problem
by schillingklaus
Summary: In a failed experiments, Quinn turns Zoey into a toddler, and need to hide and care for Zoey until Quinn's half-brother Nevel can magically restore Zoey.


**Little Problem**

* * *

**Klaus Schilling**

* * *

**Disclaimer**

I don't own any of the shows or other works of art.

* * *

**Rating**

PG-13

* * *

**Description**

* * *

**Fandoms**:

* * *

_Zoey 101_, _Drake & Josh_, _The iCarly Show_, _Unfabulous_, _Ned__'__s Declassified School Survival Guide_, _Victorious_, _True Jackson VP_, _Bigtime Rush_,_Spectacular!_, _Best Player_

******Genres**:

* * *

Friendship, Fluff, Family, Supernatural

******Summary**:

* * *

One of Quinn's experiment turns Zoey into an infant. They need to take care of her until Quinn's half-brother Nevel can magically restore Zoey.

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Lola martinez, Dustin Brooks, Nevel papperman, and endlessly many more

******Timeline**:

* * *

first season _True Jackson VP_, second season _The iCarly Show_, pre-seasons _Victorious_, post-series elsewhere

* * *

**Background**

* * *

Written for one Boris Yel'tsin's requests about Quinn turning Zoey accidentally into a baby, trying to look back into her childhood

* * *

Written for _LiveJournal_-Community _50_Passages_, claim _Zoey 101__, __Drake & Josh__, __The iCarly Show__, __Unfabulous__, __Ned__'__s Declassified School Survival Guide__, __Victorious__, __True Jackson VP_, prompt _I have forgotten much that I thought I knew, and learned again much that I had forgotten._

* * *

Written for _LiveJournal_-Community _Crossovers100_, claim _Pacific Coast Academy_, prompt _Birth_

* * *

Written for _LiveJournal_-Community _Crossovers50_, claim _Pacific Coast Academy_, prompt _Birth_

* * *

Written for _LiveJournal_-Community _Philosophy20_, claim _Nevel Papperman_, prompt _Birth_

* * *

Written for _LiveJournal_-Community _Sacred20_, claim _Megan Parker_, prompt _Miracle_

* * *

Written for _LiveJournal_-Community _Paranormal25_, claim _Zoey 101, iCarly, Drake & Josh_, prompt _Writer's Choice : Déjàvu_

* * *

**Epigraph**

* * *

Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting  
The soul that rises with us, our life's star  
Hath had elsewhere its setting  
And cometh from afar  
Not in entire forgetfulness  
And not in utter nakedness  
But trailing clouds of glory do we come  
From God who is our home

* * *

— W. Wordsorth

* * *

**Contents**

* * *

Chapter 1 The Experiment

* * *

Chapter 2 Diapers

* * *

Chapter 3 Nuclear

* * *

Chapter 4 Looking For Clues

* * *

Chapter 5 It Works

* * *

Chapter 6 Beautiful Dreamer

* * *

Chapter 7 Reunions

* * *

Chapter 8 Nevel Comes To Town

* * *

Chapter 9 Tomb Raider

* * *

Chapter 10 Return Of Miss Perfect

* * *

Chapter 11 Finale

* * *

**Chapter 1 The Experiment**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

first monday of the senior year of Zoey and her pals.

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez

* * *

The girls sat in their dorm.

Zoey was sewing a new dress she had designed.

Lola was reading the script for one of the rôles she had been applying for. 'My cousin Tori has got it much easier. She's soon going to Malcolm Reese's new _Hollywood School for Performance Arts_.'

Zoey shrugged. 'Good for your Tori!'

Lola pouted.

Quinn mixed a few scary liquids in various test tubes.

Lola was disgusted, but she decided that it was better not to know what the whole stuff was good for.

Zoey admonished Quinn not to blow up the dormitory hall, or cause a pandemia, or anything like that.

Quinn moaned. 'But that'd be no fun...'

Zoey and Lola glared aghast.

Quinn explained, 'OK, the mixture of all those bubbling sewages will allow for him who drinks it to remember things from long ago.'

Lola smiled with excitement. 'So, I just need to take it before a test, and I will remember everything from two weeks ago, without having to learn?' She cheered. 'May I order the family package?'

Quinn chuckled. 'I'm not talking about a few weeks, but many years... the more you take of the stuff, the further may you remember back in your past.'

Lola glared aghast.

Zoey shrugged. 'Who cares... I need to complete this dress for Madstyle. I've applied for a paid internship.'

Lola squealed. 'Madstyle? I've read about them in the last _Girls' Buzz_. They have got a new responsible Vice Presdident for young fashion, and everyone hopes for a boost of teen fashion.'

Zoey sighed. 'Vice President Mr. T. Jackson will come over during the Thanksgiving break for an interview. And I must have completed my complete outfit design until then.'

Quinn grinned when she mixed two other liquids, resulting in some billowing steam.

Lola choked and coughed when she sniffled at the fumes.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

a few hours later

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky (asleep), Lola Martinez (asleep)

* * *

Zoey could not sleep, unlike her roomies. She wallowed in her bed.

Quinn's experiment had worried her.

Only a few months ago, she had received an amulet from her boyfriend James Garrett. [1:1]

The amulet looked very shiny.

Its inscription was probably unique.

But, otherwise, Zoey had had the impression of having already seen that amulet.

It was no longer clear where and when, but it must have been many years ago.

Zoey had been close to going to prom with James, but the amulet made her nervous. She had not been able to get the possibility out of her mind of having seen that locket before, long, long ago.

It must have been before she had learnt to speak, or to toddle.

James had never had any clue concerning Zoey's memories.

In any case, Zoey had been so totally distracted, she had to break with James. not giving any credible reason of whatever sort. She could not talk about her incoherent scraps of memory.

When Chase returned from London, the doubtful memories were all of a sudden silenced.

It was easy to make her friends believe that she had broken up with James because of her remorses for having cheated on Chase, or because she must have sensed the pending return of her real boyfriend.

But all those were just white lies.

But on Maui, Zoey fell back into her depressive state, and she was not able to tell Chase why she had been so down.

Finally, sleep seized Zoey, but not without haunting her with restless dreams, worse than before her junior prom.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next morning

* * *

Zoey wallowed aimlessly in her bed.

Her plush kraken _Squidward_[1:2] had been sent flying over to Quinn.

Quinn woke up with some plush in her face. She was compelled to sneeze.

Lola woke up from Quinn's sneezes.

Both of them noticed that Zoey was not really awake, yet anything but quietly asleep.

Quinn shook Zoey awake. 'Shake your booty! We've got to get ready for gym classes!'

Lola yawned heartily. 'I've got my days of the month, I don't have to go to PE.'

Quinn grumbled. 'You've always got your days of the month, it seems.'

Lola chuckled. She made coach Keller believe everything by means of acting.

This had always worked for the upcoming winner of Oscar's medal, since she arrived at PCA.

Zoey totured herself into sitting.

Quinn shrugged helplessly. 'That doesn't look nice.' She felt Zoey's pulse, and tested her reflexes. 'You must have had too much REM last night.'

Lola beamed. 'REM is a cool band.'

Quinn frowned. '_REM_ means rapid eye movements, that's a sign of restless sleep.'

Lola pouted. _Did Quinn always have to correct her?_

Quinn offered Zoey to monitor her sleep.[1:3]

Zoey shook her head. 'I think I know why I can't sleep well.'

Quinn and Lola were eager on getting to know the reason.

Zoey told them about her dubious thoughts about the medallion she had been given by James. 'I must have seen it before, and I was probably not able to speak.'

Lola shrugged. 'Maybe ask Dustin?'

Quinn looked starngely at Lola. 'Zoey is a few years older than Dustin. If she was unable to speak, Dustin was most likely not even born.'

Lola scratched her brainless head. 'Oops!'

Zoey sighed. 'And that's why I had to break with James, and it was not much better with Chase on Maui.'

Lola sighed.

Zoey wondered one thing. 'Quinn, is your new power liquid ready for testing?'

Quinn squealed. 'You want to use my potion in order to remember the time when you've seen the locket before, that is, long ago?'

Zoey nodded solemnly.

Quinn shrugged. 'Ready it is, but you would be the first to test it. Do you really want to...'

Zoey sighed. 'It can't go on like this.'

Lola agreed wholeheartedly. But she had to get her makeup done.

Lola's makeup was more complex than that of any other of the girls, and she needed over half an hour.

Lola snuck to the toilets.

Quinn asked Zoey. 'Do you want to swallow the stuff before or after today's lessons?'

Zoey moaned. 'The sooner, the better!'

Quinn breathed deeply. 'OK... so, how long to you want to go back?'

Zoey calculated when she started toddling.

Quinn nodded. 'OK...' She mixed a green liquid with a red liquid that had been in a test tube labelled 'yellow', although it contained usually a purple liquid.

Quinn needed more information. 'For how long do you want to stay with your mind in your past?'

Zoey scratched her head. 'Not too long, for starters ... five minutes, maybe?'

Quinn nodded. 'OK, let's see...' She took a box with some powder. Having measured the dusty substance, she tilted it into the bubbling liquid.

A dense cloud of smoke and steam developed.

Quinn filtered the resulting liquid in another test tube. 'OK, Zoey, drink this!'

Zoey nodded. She closed her eyes, and she grabbed the little glass tube.

Quinn told Zoey to swallow it at once, not drop by drop.

Zoey poured the contents of the tube down her throat.

The world in front of Zoey's eyes went dark.

Quinn hoped tha Zoey was totally relaxed.

But what was that?

Zoey started shrinking at top speed, until she was reduced to a baby, maybe not quite a baby, but almost.

Quinn looked consternated.

Five minutes passed by, and nothing changed.

Quinn tied to shake Zoey back to teenage, but there was no outcome other than making Zoey cry like a little child.

Lola stumbled in. 'Quinn, what's going on? I've heard an infant's cry!'

Quinn was flabbergasted.

Lola looked at Zoey's bed. _Her clothes were there, but no Zoey, only a little kid wrapped into them._ 'Awww, is he sweet ... what's his name?' She smiled sweetly at rejuvenised Zoey.

Quinn choked. '**Her** name is Zoey. Zoey Brooks.'

Lola looked like a dumb sheep.

Quinn explained what had happened.

Lola was shocked. 'What? You're not joking?' She looked whether it was really a girl, and she screamed again.

Quinn sighed deeply.

Lola screamed like a high-toned fury.

Quinn stuffed Lola's mouth. 'Quiet! Nobody needs to know what has just happened.'

Lola sobbed. 'You've turned Zoey into a toddler...'

Quinn lowered her head in shame.

Lola wondered what to do. 'Hiding babies is illegal at this school, well so are your rats[1:4] and spiders[1:5] and snakes[1:6], but you know what I mean.'

Quinn knew what was in front of them. 'And if Dustin finds out, he will tell his parents, and then we are gonners...'

Lola gasped. 'We?... it has been your idea!'

Quinn whimpered. 'Please!'

Lola pouted.

Some unpleasant odor hit Quinn's nose.

Quinn continued, 'we will also need diapers.'

Lola said, 'baby meals...'

Quinn shook her head. 'I eat those too, and I've still got some on store.'

Lola shrugged. 'OK... so... how do you think you will fix that?'

Quinn shrugged. 'I first need to know how this could go so wrong...'

Lola asked how long it was going to take Quinn.

Quinn sobbed helplessly. 'Maybe two, or three...'

Lola stared at Quinn. 'Two or three what? Days? Weeks?'

Quinn shrugged. 'or maybe four, or five...'

Lola grew slowly angry. 'Months? Years?'[1:7]

Quinn squealed. 'How should I know? I'm not a witch!'

* * *

**Chapter 2 Diapers**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

same day, after gym classes

******Place**:

* * *

campus of the PCA

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Dean Rivers (later), many anonymous pupils and teachers (background)

* * *

Lola had succesfully excused Zoey in gym classes, saying that it was also Zoey's time of the month.

But this did, of course, not work for the rest of the classes.

Hence Quinn and Lola had to come up with something much better.

Quinn typed a few digits into her cellular phone. 'This is Quinn Pensky. Am I talking to Mr. Henning'cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iGo Nuclear_' from National Environment Preservation Corps?...'

Lola gasped.

Quinn talked to Mr. Henning. 'Some radioactive maggots have been found on the campus of _Pacific Coast Academy_, here in Malibu...'

Lola trembled. 'Maggots?'

Quinn ignored her dumbfounded mate. She started yelling around. 'Attention, this is a red alert! The class buildings are suspected to host some radioactive insects. Leave the buildings, and don't reenter until the ABC-emergency team has mastered the situation.'

Lola squealed like a fury.

Dean Rivers took a megaphone, and he walked across the campus, declaring all classes for cancelled, and the pupils were grounded until the ABC-emergency squad had arrived and disposed with the trouble.

Most of the pupild cheered because the classes were cancelled, but they were annoyed because they were grounded.

Quinn and Lola walked back to 101 Brenner Hall.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, infant Zoey Brooks, Chase Matthews (later), Michael barret (later), Dustin Brooks (later)

* * *

Lola sighed when she reached her dorm. 'But there aren't really nuclear maggots in...'

Quinn replied, 'Hey! I can't cause an alert for nothing... I had still some of those vermins left from an earlier experiment, but they are safe...'

Lola glared at Quinn. 'You swear they are no danger?'

Quinn shook her head. 'They may of course be a danger, if there's an earthquake...'

Lola squealed even louder.

Quinn shook Lola. 'You make Zoey go crazy!'

Lola calmed down. Alas, she had no idea how to control the toddler.

Her last attempt of babysitting a toddler[2:1] had been a creepy failure.

Lola sighed. 'If only Zoey were here, she would know what to do...'

Quinn glared oddly at Lola. 'Zoey is here...'

Lola moaned. 'You know what I mean.'

Quinn sighed, 'true!'

At the same time, Chase and Michael stumbled in. They had escaped from being grounded, using the fire ladder.

Chase wondered. 'Has any of you seen Zoey? I've missed her today...'

Lola and Quinn fainted. 'Oh she's ... at the toilets...'

Michael shrugged. 'You girls are always at the toilets.'

Lola and Quin stared oddly at Michael.

Michael shrugged. 'But it is so!'

Chase noticed something crawling behind Quin and Lola. 'What is that?' He gasped.

Quinn whistled innocently. 'We don't know what you mean.'

Lola shook her head.

Michael sidestepped the girls, and he saw the toddler. 'Oh, she's cute!'

Chase ran into the open closet door when he noticed the toddler.

Michael helped dizzy Chase. 'So, you're babysitting for someone?'

Quinn and Lola nudged each other. 'Sure!'

Chase grabbed the toddler. 'Wow, she looks a lot like Zoey!'

Lola shook her head. 'No way!'

Michael was of a different opinion. 'Yes way! The same eyes, the same nose, just smaller...'

Quinn remarked that all kids of that age looked alike.

Chase didn't believe Quinn's nonsense. 'Did Zoey have a baby?'

Michael gasped. 'Oh my, god, it would probably be from James!'

Chase was consternated. 'Who is James?'

Lola coughed. 'Nobody, and definitely not the dad of the baby!'

Michael explained that James and Zoey had been dating when Chase was in London.

Chase was consternated. 'And you, all of you, when have you wanted to share this vital information?'

Quinn, Michael, and Lola looked astray.

Chase was deadly upset. 'I'm done with you, all of you!' He slammed the door shut when he left the doorm, annoying little Zoey even more.

Michael banged his head against the wall. _Why did he have to talk befor thinking? The infant was not new born, thus Zoey's pregnancy must have started before Chase left to England. So, who was the father, then? Chase? Lance Rivers_[_2:2_]_?_

Quinn couyghed. 'It is not Zoey's baby, and Zoey has never, I mean, you know, but it is Zoey!'

Michael laughed heartily. 'You want to make jokes with me? That isn't funny!'

Lola gasped.

Thereupon, Quinn explained the whole catastrophy.

Michael was consternated. 'How's that possible?'

Quinn shrugged. 'If I knew, it wouldn't have happened.'

Michael sighed. 'Now do something! Zoey will kill us if she misses out on her interview with some fashion freak from New York.'

Lola shrugged helplessly.

Quinn banged her head against the wall. 'Hardly, but her parents will if they find out...'

Dustin Brooks stumbled in. 'If they find out about what?'

Michael whistled innocently.

Dustin saw Zoey, asnd smiled. 'Aw, is she sweet!' he cuddled the toddler. 'Strange, Zoey looks exactly like that on her baby pics... where is she anyways?'

Quinn and Lola went pale... again.

Dustin knew that Zoey had not been pregnant, so he made another guess. 'Quinn, have you cloned Zoey? Woe to you if anything is missing on my sister!'

Quinn stammered helplessly. 'Nopes, why would I do anything like that?'

Michael chuckled heartily.

Lola hid under a bed.

Dustin did not leave them in peace. 'So, where is Zoey? I give you ten minutes, or I call Dean Rivers!'

Quinn trembled. 'This is Zoey!'

Dustin grabbed Quinn. 'Don't even try to fool me!'

Quinn sighed, and she explained the whole mess.

Dustin looked at his watch. 'OK, I give you time until Mr. Jackson from Madstyle comes over, then I want Zoey back in her original shape, nothing added and nothing missing. You've got me?'

Quinn and Lola trembled with dismay.

Zoey started weeping insanely.

The stench of kid excrements filled the dorm.

Dustin scratched his head. 'Diapers!' _Zoey had sometimes changed his diiapers when he had been that young. Maybe it was time to turn the tide?_

Lola sighed. 'We haven't yet got any.'

Dustin grimaced menacingly at Lola. Then he grabbed one of her substitute bras from her closet.

Lola was dismayed. She yelled, 'What are you doing Dustin?'

Dustin boomed, 'if you don't give me diapers for Zoey, I will have to take something else!'

Quinn chuckled.

Lola remarked that it was all Quinn's fault.

Dustin shrugged. Then he used one of Quinn's bed sheets, making her upset.

Michael had a hard time preventing Quinn from zapping Dustin with her laser watch.

Zoey didn't stop weeping.

Lola remarked that she might need a lullaby.

Quinn nodded. Then she fetched her trombone[2:3], and started to play.

Tah tatatatatata tah ta tah tatata tah ta tah!

Michael, Lola, and Dustin stuffed their ears.

Quinn shrugged. 'So what? Sam Puckett, who learnt the trombone[2:4] in my group, played way worse.'

Lola tried her best, singing something.

* * *

Go, Zoey, fall asleep  
Your mother is a sheep

* * *

Dustin kicked Lola's butt. 'Never say that again!'

Lola cried. 'That hurt.'

Dustin glared. 'It was supposed to hurt.'

Lola pouted and sighed deeply.

Dustin suggested Michael to get his flute.[2:5]

Michael was embarassed. 'Aw my flute ... it has got holes, an needs to be repaired.'

Quinn glared at Michael. 'A flute does have holes, that's normal, no reason to repair it!'

Lola grabbed Michael, and she dragged him outside. 'We'll be back with flute in just a few...'

Quinn sighed. _If only her half-brother Nevel were here, he was a great recorder player_[_2:6_]_, and thus he could charm Zoey in no time with a lullaby. But her mom was not allowed to know that her dad had had other women, so Nevel had to stay a secret._

Dustin was still upset, and he just pouted and glared at Quinn.

Lola returned, dragging Michael and his flute into the dorm.

Michael struggled vigorously, but Lola had learnt that grip from her wrestling cousin Shelby[2:7], and he failed to pry himself loose.

Michael started playing Brahm's _Lullaby_, albeit hesitatingly.

Dustin sang along.

* * *

Good evening, good night  
With roses bedight  
With carnations o'erspread  
Zoey sleeps in her bed

* * *

Alas, Michael's lack of seriosity made the hole thing a plain terror.

Zoey grinned at Michael with disgust.

Dustin shook his head. 'It makes no sense...' _Was there no better lullaby player to find?_

* * *

**Chapter 3 Nuclear**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next morning, as the sun is rising

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky

* * *

The toddler had kept Lola and Quinn awake for hours.

Quinn looked outside. 'Apparently, the team of Mr. Henning has just left the campus.'

Lola sighed with relief.

Quinn shrugged. 'This means: classes...'

Officially, Dean Rivers had to cancel the exceptional status first, and then he was probably going to give a few hours of allowances, but he was certainly up to reopen classes after lunch.

Lola moaned with disgust.

Quinn went through her clothes. 'Hey, Lola, have you seen my airbag bra?'

Lola fainted. 'Dunno, but I needed some cloth to replace the last piece of fabric we have used as diapers for Zoey. So I took one of your bras...'

Quinn glared grimly at Lola. 'How dare you...'

Lola shrugged.

Zoey cried.

Suddenly, The clothes between Zoey's legs blew up to quadruple size.

This could only mean one thing...

'Yes, you have used my airbag bra as a diaper for Zoey,' exclaimed Quinn with consternation. She fired a laser beam from her wrist watch at Lola's butt.

Lola squealed with agony.

Suddenly, the megaphone yelled what everyone had suspected: Classes were only cancelled until lunch.

Quinn grinned. 'So, what are we doing in the afternoon?'

Actress Lola had got an idea. 'We will take turns wearing a blong wig, I may get one from the costume storage of the drama club!'

Quinn sighed. 'I won't wear a blond wig, I'm not really convincing as Zoey.'

Lola shrugged. 'OK, I've been able to act as a boy[3:1], so acting as Zoey will be the perfect rôle for me, the perfect actress.'

Quinn hoped that this was true.

Alas, they still had no clue concerning what to do with Zoey during class time.

An unsupervised toddler could do great damage...

In addition, Coco was "regularly" controlling the girls' dorms. Well, she did not actually do that regularly, as it would have been her duty, but sometimes she did.

And if Coco found Zoey, hell was going to break loose.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

after breakfast

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Michael Barret, Dustin Brooks

* * *

Michael and Dustin had followed the girls to their dorm.

Dustin cuddled with his rejuvenised sister. 'I hope you've slept well tonight...'

Quinn's and Lola's gestures and postures betrayed something different.

Michael shrugged. 'Chase understands now the situation, but he's still upset because we didn't tell him about James earlier, as it would have been our duty. He won't talk to us for quite some time...'

Lola and Quinn glared quizzically at each other, and then they looked at Michael, sighing deeply.

Michael continued 'In addition, Logan only makes fun of the situation.'

Dustin did not want to hear the name of the jerk again.

Quinn sighed. 'You know, that's over, I've only dated him for the money, and because his grandpa's library which I would have wanted to inherit.'

Michael coughed. 'A library?'

Quinn nodded. 'Logan's grandpa had been a teacher at Caltech[3:2]'

Michael shrugged. 'For a few books?'

Quinn pouted. 'His grandpa's library contains some originals from 19th century!'

Michael moaned 'I hate old books!'

Quinn glared grimly at Michael.

Michael trembled. 'Anyway, I think I went through the interweb...'

Quinn shrugged.

Michael explained that he had been looking for a good lullaby player.

Lola shrugged. 'And who would that be? Squidward Tentacles from _Spongebob Squarepants_? [3:3] He plays the cabinet.'

Michael shook his head. 'Last year's Californian champion for lullabies was one Megan Parker from San Diego. Her oboe even got one of the jurors to drop asleep. Plus, the instrument that Squidward plays is a clarinet! Too bad it's just a toon figure, like all those toons that I have made with Chase,[3:4] before he went to England...'

Lola shrugged. 'Strange. One of my favourite rock stars is also named Parker, and he's from San Diego, too.'

Michael coughed. 'Drake Parker?'

Lola nodded cheerfully. She did not know that Drake had once given a concert at the PCA, the year before Lola's arrival.[3:5]

Michael explained the circumstances of that concert.

Dustin complained 'And I had to miss out on the concert because Quinn had stripped me of my sleep for three days straight, and I was deadly tired!'

Quinn pouted.

Lola was disappointed. 'We need Drake to come back!'

Michael agreed. 'The band that played at our junior prom was the lamest of anything lame...'

Quinn remarked that the very same band was supposed to be the black sheep of their branch, and that's why they had been so cheap.[3:6].

Lola shuddered with disgust. 'It's Drake for prom band, or I won't go there at all!'

Michael nodded solemnly.

Quinn looked at her scheduler. 'Oh no, Cal[3:7] is coming today!'

Michael shrugged. 'Who is Cal?'

Quinn explained 'A guy whom I name like this because he has recently graduated from Caltech. He provides me with pulverised plutonium.'

Lola shrugged. 'What is Plutonian? A man from planet Pluto? Or a man that likes Pluto? Oh, I love that toon dog.[3:8]'

Quinn grunted. 'Plutonium... that's a radioactive mterial that I need for my nuclear experiments. My latest upgrade of my portable nuclear reactor will make Paige Howard[3:9] go pale!'

Lola fainted.

Quinn also had to tell Lola that Pluto was no longer considered a planet, and it was definitely not inhabited, not even remotely inhabitabvle by any stretch.

Lola shrugged.

Dustin grunted 'But you won't perform nuclear experiments in Zoey's presence, will you?'

Quinn sighed. 'Come on, it will be fun!'

Dustin poked Quinn hard in the ribs, making her whimper.

Michael agreed with Dustin's view.

Then Lola noticed Stacey passing by. 'Wait, Stacey!'

Stacey lisped 'What is up, Lola? I need to stack more cotton swabs until lunch.'

Lola shrugged. 'You haven't got any classes this afternoon because your teacher is still sick, have you?'

Stacey nodded.

Lola grabbed Zoey, and she gave her to Stacey. 'OK, this is the granddaughter of Dean Rivers. We have promised his mom to keep care of him until tonight, but we've got classes. Will you...'

Stacey beamed, as she felt needed. 'Sure! Come with me, it's just us, and my cotton swabs.'

Lola beamed. 'Toddlers love cotton swabs!'

Michael nodded. 'It is so!'

Stacey smiled when she disappeared with Zoey in Her arms.

Dustin had no good feeling. 'What if Zoey swallows a cotton swab? She may choke to death...'

Michael, Quinn, and Lola fainted, but there was no other chance.

Dustin wondered whether Dean Rivers even had a grandaughter.

Michael shrugged.

Lola didn't know either. 'Stacey is easy to fool with acting...'

Alas, things could not remain as they were.

Stacey was only a solution for this afternoon.

Quinn thought that they should try to figure the history of the locket on their own.

But where to begin?

* * *

**Chapter 4 Looking For Clues**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

evening of same day

******Place**:

* * *

148 Maxwell Hall

******People**:

* * *

Logan Reese, Michael Barret, Chase Matthews (later)

* * *

Michael was desperate. He was trying to contact James Garrett in order to try to trace the origin of the locket that he had given unto Zoey not much before they broke up.

Logan grinned. 'Do you know that I may become a model?'

Michael shrugged. He did not really care about Logan's boastful monologues as he tried to figure where James had really been bound for upon his departure from California. He telephoned everywhere.

Logan was annoyed. 'I tell you, Sophie Girard[4:1], one of the greatest model agents of Paris, is interested in my talents.'

Michael shrugged helplessly. 'Getting James to show up is more important than your Gérard Soufflé.'

Logan grunted. 'Sophie Girard! Well, she won't come in person, but she's going to sent one of her hottest top models!'

Michael couldn't care any less. 'Come on, James, you must be there...'

Chase stumbled in. 'What are you doing? Contacting James?'

Michael nodded honestly. 'Sure, we need him for Zoey...'

Chase grunted. 'You need him for Zoey? So, you have always supported James dating Zoey?'

Michael fainted. _Truth said, he had never ever tried to dissuade Zoey from becoming too close with James, remembering Chase to her._

Chase nodded. 'I always knew it. You've done everything to tear us apart, you poor excuse of a "friend"! I wouldn't have expected anything different from Logan, but you disappoint me, you traitor!' He shut the door with a bang when he walked out.

Logan just shrugged. 'Not my problem...'

Michael wanted to explain that they needed James to tell them about the origin of the locket, but now it was too late. 'I'm such an idiot!'

Logan grinned triumphantly. 'I've known that much earlier...'

Michael glared aghast.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, Dustin Brooks, Cal

* * *

It had been a hard day, but Lola's acting had been successful tricking all the teachers into believing that teenage Zoey was still around.

Stacey had had a very hard time with Zoey, and she swore nave rto babysit her again, even if she was the grandaughter of the Pope.

Now they were gathered in the girls' dorm, taking care of the "toddler".

Lola and Dustin tried to feed baby goo unto Zoey.

Quinn opened the door. 'Cal!' She beamed, snuggling up to the visitor.

Dustin suspected that there was a lot of trouble ahead. _The radioactive guy?_

Cal walked in. 'Here's the pulverised plutoniom, and here are the diapers. I have heard it right, you've ordered me to get ypu some diapers?'

Quinn nodded. 'I did.'

Her voice trembled.

Cal wondered what experiement the diapers were for.

Quinn coughed. 'Not really for an experiment...'

Cal saw Zoey, thus he understood the situation. He laughed like crazy. 'How have you shrunk her? Surgically or with laser technology?'

Quinn sighed. 'A potion.'

Cal nodded. 'OK.'

Quinn shrugged. 'Anyways, with this portable nuclear reactor, I've got the last chance to win the National Science Fair for kids between 14 and eighteen.'

Cal remarked that it won't be easy. 'Paige is up to something big. At least your former main competitor Mindy Crenshaw dropped out, as she turned eighteen. Just don't underestimate the contributions of Shane Diamond[4:2] from Seattle, and of Simon Nelson Cook from La Mesa!'

Quinn was flabbergasted. 'I get competition from my hometown?'

Cal nodded solemnly. 'He is new in Seattle, though...'

Dustin coughed. 'Is he tall and hot, totally not looking like a freak?'

Quinn remarked sarcastically, 'thanks, Dustin!'

Cal scratched his head. 'The girls at his school fall for him like wounded _drossophila_.'

Dustin gasped. 'I don't think he's able to compete with Quinn...'

Quinn and Cal looked aghast at Dustin.

'Shane just fell through an empty elevator hole...' reported Dustin. 'I've seen it in a webshow made by Trisha[4:3]'s sister Samantha, and her friend Carly.'

Quinn coughed. 'Bad things happen...'

Cal gasped. 'I know the show. Strangely, Paige and Carly look much alike.'

'Carly is supersweet,' remarked Dustin, getting his cheeks to blush subtly. _Fortunately, Zoey could not really notice that, or she would have turned overprotective again._

Finally, Quinn paid Cal the price that had been agreed upon. 'OK, Lola, Dustin, it's time to change her diapers...'

Dustin checked his e-mail with his cellular phone. 'Damn... mom and dad will come to LA over Christmas. And that means ... if we haven't restored Zoey until then, I'll be a dead boy...'

Quinn and Lola coughed and choked. 'They will be very impatient if Zoey doesn't call them by phone much before that...'

Dustin also read some PCA news. 'Hey! Dean Rivers wants to ban Blix from PCA, as they don't want to pay the new required fees.'

Quinn sighed. 'We'll have to drink taped water...'

Lola coughed with disgust.

Dustin nodded sadly.

Lola scratched her head. 'Wasn't Nicole's dad a juice producer?[4:4]'

Quinn nodded. 'Hey! Maybe they will jump in for Blix, and hence save our throats from burning?'

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next morning, rise of sun

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, Michael Barret, James Garrett (phone)

* * *

The girls woke up with dismay. 'Michael?'

Michael nodded. 'I've snuck in through the front door. I've actually reached James Garrett.'

Quinn and Lola needed to know urgently.

Michael handed them a slip of paper. 'There's his number. Too bad Chase is now even more upset, thinking that we cooperate behind his back, in order to reunite James and Zoey. He thinks that this had been our very goal from the moment when James entered this school.'

Quinn dialed the number of James.

'James Garrett...'

Quinn sighed. 'Hi James, thanks we reach you. We need you for Zoey.'

James coughed. 'May I talk to her? Is she OK?'

Quinn choked. 'That would be a very bad idea. In any way, we need to know more about the locket that you gave her before the prom... Zoey believes to have seen it before.'

James sighed. 'That's a very long story. I can't tell you on the phone, but I'll be in Los Angeles by the end of next week.'

Lola nodded. 'OK, that's before Thanksgiving, right?'

Quinn grinned. 'Correct! We need to know until Thanksgiving.'

James agreed on coming to visit the girls, Logan, and Michael.

Alas, Michael feared that this was going to cause more trouble with Chase.

Lola and Quinn sighed deeply.

Michael also told them about Logan's career plans. 'Some Sophie Girard from paris is sending over one of her models in order to interview Logan for a job.'

Lola squealed. 'Sophie Girard? That Sophie Girard? The _Buzz_ [4:5] writes a lot about her and her creations.'

Michael nodded. 'Probably...'

Lola thought that Sophie Girard might be interested in Zoey as a designer, as well, just in case the thing with MadStyle and Mr. T. Jackson failed...

Michael squealed. 'Yeah, man, Zoey making fashion in Paris, that would be so cool... should she ever turn eighteen again... By the way, Miss Parker has answered. They may make it hereto this Saturday, both Megan and Drake, and his manager Joshuah Nichols, and his wife Mindy.'

Lola squealed.'Drake!' She blushed furiously.

Upon Lola's cry, Zoey began weeping again.

They so needed a lullaby...

* * *

**Chapter 5 It Works**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

Saturday after, after breakfast

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Dustin Brooks, Megan Parker, Joshuah Nichols, Drake Parker

* * *

The girls had just returned to Zoey in their dormitory room, when Dustin, all excited, dragged Drake in, followed by Josh, Megan, and Mindy.

Dustin wondered why Megan looked such a hell of similar to Carly, the host of his one and only all-time favourite web show.

Quinn, in turn, riddled silently why Megan looked so similar to paige Howard, the worst of her rivals.

Megan looked at weeping Zoey. 'OK, let's look how to calm her!'

Drake grunted. 'You will only torture Zoey.'

Megan glared at Drake. 'Boob!'

Lola jumped up and down with excitement. She took an apple from a bag and gave it to Drake. _He was rumoured to be one of the best kissers of California. The apple test_[_5:1_]_ was going to provide for some clarity._

Quinn tried to protest. 'Hey, the apple was for my experiment with the improved antigravity-chamber![5:2]'

Alas, it was in vain.

The appled wandered into Drake's hands.

Drake shrugged. 'Thanks...'

Josh remarked that Lola was an actress. 'I work at _Première Theater_ in San Diego, and I've seen the announce of the new movie that Helen, my boss, bought.'

Lola nodded. 'Malcolm said that we're going to have our première party down there...'

Mindy wondered about Quinn's research.

Alas, Quinn slightly remembered Mindy's face, and it was not from a science fair. _She had deliberately used inappropriate makeup in order to hide something, but what?_

Dustin urged Megan to start playing.

Megan unzipped her oboe.

Drake wanted to persuade Quinn into letting him try to calm Zoey with his guitar, but Megan poked him rudely.

Megan started to play.

Zoey smiled, and she fell asleep on site.

Dustin chuckled. 'Cool!'

Drake grumbled. 'Have you still got those pills?'

Quinn glared. 'Pills?'

Drake shrugged. 'Whatever you gave Zoey to make her so small...' He bit joyfully into his apple.

Lola watched with glee when the rockstar's teeth hit the forbidden fruit. _Wow, Drake is not just a good kisser, he must be simply the very best kisser of all times of this world! She needed to be fast, before her similar-looking cousins Tori or Tammi snatched him._ 'Do you need a background squealer for your next music video?'

Drake nodded. 'Good idea! I have to ask muy producer Gustavo Roque first, though!'

Josh shook his head. 'Mr. Roque offered Drake thrice as much as his old producer, Spin City Records[5:3].'

Drake smiled. 'And Gustavo is a friend of Malcolm Reese!'

Quinn walked to some shelf. 'Here it is. Do you want to test it?'

Drake grinned. 'Certainly, I always wanted to revive my memories of myt wonderful, peaceful time before Megan was born, let alone before Josh and Mindy started dating. So... fifteen years back, please!'

Josh gasped. 'Drake? Are you insane?'

Mindy calmed Josh. 'I wouldn't mind Drake turning into a helpless infant.' She giggled sadistically.

Megan smiled. 'Cool!'

Nobody could stop Drake when he started sipping from the icky-looking potion.

A puff of smoke billowed all around Drake.

The rock-legend turned smaller and smaller.

Alas, unlike Zoey, the change was only of a short duration:

Less than five minutes later, the real Drake, as he was known to everyone, was restored in its glory.

Drake sighed. He sobbed. Then he threw his arms around his sister.

Megan gasped. 'Boob? What the...' _This cried for burning her shirt which was now replete with boob germs._

Lola asked, '"Boob"?'

Megan chuckled.

Mindy remarked that, according to Megan, _worthless boys_ were to be called _boobs_.

Quinn and Lola glared agahst.

Drake sobbed. 'Sorry, but I've missed you, Megan.'

Tears ran down Drake's face.

Drake had also missed Lola, but he refused to admit that. although she made him blush a shade of crimson every time he happened to see her.

Megan was still dazed.

Mindy scratched her chin. 'Have you changed the formula since you applied the potion to Zoey? Or is it still based on...' She mentioned a very long chemical formula which nobody else could think of, barring maybe Josh.

Quinn shook her head. _Wait! How did Mindy know the formula?_ She had not published it on her scientific blog, and she wasn't going to do so before Zoey was restored. _Anyways..._ 'Mindy, do you want to help me perfectioning the potion?'

Mindy nodded. 'Sure that would be an honour!'

Josh twitched. 'I want to help you, too!'

Drake shook his head. 'Freaks! Creatures!'

Quinn glared at Drake with her worst penance stare. _Where was the laser zapper when it was needed?_

MIndy nodded. 'Josh is a good scientist, too, although he always runs a poor second to me. Well, for a boy, he's fairly good, although both of us know that girls are the better scientists.'

Quinn agreed wholeheartedly. 'You're right, although boys and science don't belong together...' She grinned diabolically, thinking about her archrival Wayne Gilbert aka Firewire.

Dustin hoped that this meant that they were soon going to be able to invent something to release Zoey, especially before the parents came from London, even better bfore Vice president Jackson from madStyle showed up.

Megan coughed. She had come to a different conclusion. 'Sorry, but I don't think that you need new pills and potions to restore Zoey.'

Dustin shrugged.

Mindy and Quinn, who bowed over some formular, looked aghast.

Megan grinned. She explained, 'OK, see, Drake had returned, as expected, because he missed me, and I'm sure he also missed other things.'

Drake nodded solemnly. 'Indeed, as Megan said!' He still didn't dare to mention that Lola was his main reason.

Megan continued, 'so, probably must have seen something that caused the contrary: the wish not to grow up again, because something had gone horribly wrong in her life, and the memories of her infancy convinced her to never grow up again.'

Dustin screamed with excessive terror. 'Nooooo, Zoey, you can't do that to me!' He was disappointed because Zoey seemed to miss him way less than Drake missed megan, although she had tortured him all the time. He collapsed, watering the floor of 101 with his tears. 'Let me die!'

Megan grabbed Dustin. 'Sorry, didn't mean to...' She sighed deeply. 'Do you know that Carly from _iCarly_ is my cousin?'

Given their similarity, this appeared plausible to Dustin.

Megan nodded. 'I might think of a way for you to get to see her, for real...'

Dustin sighed. 'Really?'

Megan nodded. 'Let's talk about this in the lounge, there are smoothies, right?'

Dustin sobbed. 'There are ...'

Megan lead Dustin away into the lounge.

Quinn sighed. 'Megan is probably right, and the problem is not our formula, but Zoey's psychology. And it has most likelyto do with the locket that she wanted to remember in her past.'

Lola glared. 'Cool! Once James told us where the thing is from,...'

Quinn shook her head. 'If it weren't that easy, James had told it to us on the phone. So I fear things concerning the medallion are very complicated.'

Josh and Mindy agreed solemnly.

Josh wondered whether they still had the locket.

Quinn shrugged. 'It would be in Zoey's closet, and we didn't yet dare to rummage through her belongings...'

Lola nodded solemnly.

Suddenly, some thought stabbed like a adamantine dagger through Quinn's brain.

_Nevel... he had got some strange psychic gift..._ Quinn sighed. _But he was her very last fallback option._ 'OK, seems that some witch could help us.' She still hoped for a miracle involving James's upcoming visit. _But failing this?_. 'Does anyone know a witch?'

Drake grinned. 'Megan is one hell of a naughty witch!'

Quinn smiled. 'Oh, sure, maybe she can figure things about the amulet, just with her mind...'

Josh shrugged and twitched.

Drake sighed. 'OK, I'll ask her...'

Lola asked Drake, 'Let's go for a coffee? I hope you like our javaccino...'

Drake smiled. 'Sure!'

* * *

**Chapter 6 Beautiful Dreamer**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next morning

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Drake Parker, Megan Parker, Joshuah Nichols, Mindy Crenshaw (later), Craig Ramirez (later)

* * *

Quinn sighed. 'Coco's new assistant is now controlling our rooms more secretly and more frequently.'

Lola sighed. 'Hey, maybe Zoey is safer with the Parkers in San Diego?'

Josh glared at Drake. 'Drake?'

Drake glared at Josh. 'Josh?'

Drake and Josh nodded unison.

Megan declared to be up to the hallenge. 'This time, I'll be almost always there to calm her with a lullaby.'

Quinn grinned. 'That'd be fantastic... finally some sleep for me...' She yawned at the top of her lungs. When she prepared a few things for Zoey.

Drake smiled.

Mindy walked in, followed by Craig. 'Here we are.'

Drake grinned. 'OK, these are my friends Craig Ramirez and Eric Blonowitz... erm... where is Eric?'

Craig sighed deeply.

Mindy explained, 'Well, when I lead them across the campus, Eric showed some martial moves by some Bruce Lee to a few other freaks. He accidentally hit the shoulders of some weird girl that talked with a lisp. Upon impact, said girl dropped a sculpture made of cotton-swabs. Eric is now helping her to fix the sculpture.'

Drake shrugged. 'His problem...'

Lola explained that Stacey was really weird.

Drake replied that Eric wasn't any better.

Quinn asked Megan whether she could make guesses about the origins of things whn she just saw them.

Megan scratched her head. 'Psychometry? Well, I could operate as a medium, but I'd need a decent prophet to talk for me.'

Quinn sighed. _Nevel would certainly be able to do that, although he was really scary when he did. But how to avoid making it known that she had got a half-brother? Her mom owned the house, the garden, the sports car... dad's life would have been ruined, should mom find out about his multiple adulteries._ 'OK, I'll try to look for someone suitable.'

Ecic looked at Zoey who was still asleep, because Megan had calmed her down with a lullaby just before breakfast. He smiled, starting to sing.

* * *

Beautiful dreamer  
Wake unto me!  
Starlight and dew drops  
Are waiting for thee

* * *

Zoey appeared to wake up. She smiled innocently.

Drake, Josh, Lola, and Mindy stuffed their ears.

* * *

Beautiful dreamer  
Queen of my song  
List while I woe thee  
With soft melody.  
Gone are the cares of  
Life's busy throng  
Beautiful dreamer  
Awake unto me!

* * *

Zoey apparently listened with increased interest.

Quinn did not stuff her ears, she was glad that Zoey smiled now, which had been very rare during the last week.

Megan shrugged. 'At least someone who enjoys Craig singing...'

Drake told Josh to look for Eric. 'Tell him that there was no need for him to hurry up, he may spend as much time with the weird wench as he wants to.'

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

car of Drake Parker on the highway from Los Angeles to San Diego

******People**:

* * *

Drake Parker, Joshuah Nichols, Megan Parker, Mindy Crenshaw

* * *

Drake drove the vehicle.

Megan sat o his right.

Mindy and repeatedly twitching Josh sat in the back of the car, holding Zoey tight.

Megan grinned at Drake. 'This will be abig test for you, boob!'

Drake coughed and gasped. 'A test? I hate tests!'

Josh twitched. 'We know!'

Megan explained, 'if you take well care of Zoey, Lola will see that you are a good daddy, and then dshe will marry you.'

Drake blushed, but he tried to deny. 'What? Lola and I...'

Megan glard, 'Aw boob, don't even try to hide it! You know that Lola can be everything you would ever look for in a girl.'

Josh twitched. 'One girl will never be enough for Drake!'

Mindy nodded solemnly. 'As he said...'

Megan grunted, 'the right girl will be enough for Drake, and that is Lola!'

Drake went more and more nervous, as he could not deny that Megan was correct. 'But does it have to be such a hard test?'

Megan nodded. 'It isn't an easy task for a jerk like you, so you have to be very careful. Josh will help you, won't he?'

Josh twitched. Reluctantly, he agreed with Megan.

Zoey started weeping.

Unzipping her oboe quickly, Megan was ready to perform a lullaby for Zoey.

Drake whispered, 'Zoey will feel like home with us...' He smiled, anticipating Lola's acknowledgement of his efforts.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

evening hours of same day

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Michael Barret, Dustin Brooks

* * *

Lola and Quinn were looking forward to enjoying their first quiet evening since quite a few days. They yawned heartily.

Michael and Dustin had just stumbled in. 'Hi, gals!'

Quinn grinned.

Lola informed the boys about their temporary solution.

Michael gasped. 'You should have asked Dustin first!'

Dustin shrugged. 'It's OK, as Zoey hates me anyways. Maybe she will be happier with Drake, Josh, and Megan as new siblings.'

Quinn sighed. 'Don't say that, Dustin!'

'But if Zoey didn't hate me that much, she would have returned to her normal age already, as did Drake because he missed Megan.' repeated Dustin.

Quinn shook her head. 'We don't know. There must be a very powerful reason for her to refuse growing up again, and it can't be you, because you haven't been born yet.'

Lola remarked, 'it must have to do with the locket. Maybe it is cursed, like that of Charles Galloway?[6:1]'

Quinn shrugged helplessly. She knew that Nevel might have been a chance to find out, but he was really her last fallback, given their family's tricky situation. 'I hope truly that James gives us some clarity, pretty soon.'

Lola nodded.

Michael sighed. 'I've tried to talk to Chase, over and over again, but he remains bull-headed. Do you think that there might be troubles when he encounters James?'

Quinn shrugged. 'Neither James nor Chase are violent, so, probably not.'

Michael also remarked that he had seen a weird-looking guy holding hands with Stacey Dillsen, while they were gazing at the stars with Stacey's telescope.

Lola grinned. 'That must be Eric Blonowitz, a dork that is well-known to Drake Parker.'

Quinn chuckled. 'The telescope is Stacey's only friend, but it seems that she had now found a second one...'

Lola laughed hysterically. 'Good riddance, Stacey!'

Dustin thought that Lola was a bit mean to the lisping girl.

Michael remarked that he had also seen Drake and his companions crossing the cqampus. 'Who was the elder of the girls?'

Lola replied, 'Mindy Crenshaw, the wiffe of Drake's step-brother Josh.'

Michael gasped. 'I remember having encountered her on the campus like four years ago, and that was nowhere near a plesent occasion.'

Quinn coughed. 'Oh, I was no dreaming it up, do you know details?'

Michael scratched his head. 'Zoey had troubles with her, but I can't remember why...'

Quinn moaned, 'too bad Nicole and Dana aren't around. They might be able tell us.'

Michael grinned. 'Hey, Nicole mailed me. She will soon come in order to negotiate about the sale of her dad's juices on campus.'

Quinn sighed with relief. 'I hope that Nicole will help us further.' _Alas, the possibility of having renderd little Zoey unto a girl that probably hated her gave her the creeps. It was now everything down to Nicole..._

* * *

**Chapter 7 Reunions**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next Saturday, after breakfast

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Michael Barret

* * *

Lola and Quinn were excited, because James had announced his arrival.

Michael explained that he was taking a cab from LA National Airport to PCA. 'It costs quite a bit...'

Lola knew that.

Quinn nodded. 'But Zoey's normal life is worth much more than that.'

Michael nodded. 'Sure'

The week without Zoey had been quiet, and they had heard from Drake and Megan that Zoey was doing fine.

Now many hopes were down to James.

They were awaiting nervously a call from James, announcing his arrival on the campus.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

148 Maxwell Hall

******People**:

* * *

Logan Reese, Chase Matthews

* * *

Chase was excessively grumpy. During the whole week, he had been talking about what he could do to James Garrett.

Michael's attempts to correct Chase were all in vain.

Logan did not really care. 'Listen, I have got an appointment with one of the leading models of Paris, it's for a job for the greatest European fashion vendor. And you should better not dare to mess with that!'

Chase grumbled.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

lounge of Maxwell Hall

******People**:

* * *

Logan Reese, Chase Matthews, James Garrett, many anonymous pupils (background), Michael Barret (later), Dean Rivers (later), four security guards (later)

* * *

Logan and Chase had left their dorm in order to fix some drink in the lounge.

Logan grinned. 'Look, there's James Garrett, the adonis of Santa Fé!'

Chase gasped. _Zoey is into that tall, blond rake? He can't get away with having done that!_ Chase jumped forward in order to punch the living hell out of Chase.

His surprise notwithstanding, James was not only able to duck Chase's fiststrike, but he achieved spinning around and landing a low palm strike to Chase's guts, infuriating the bush-headed attacker.

Logan gleamed with beam.

Most of the onlookers were consternated.

Logan yelled. 'Come on, fight it out! Chase! James!'

Chase might have withdrawn from the fight, and James might have moved on, had not Logan inspired them to continue. 'You need to fight for Zoey! She doesn't want a loser!'

Chase tried to trip James. _No way the thief may have got away with it!_

The blond girleater jumped over Chase's stretched leg, performed a roll, and kicked Chase's butt hard. _So, that was Chase Matthews. Phew! What a brute slammer! He was so going to pay for that onslaught!_

Logan could not stop cheering both of the contestants.

Alas, some of the dismayed onlookers must have called security.

Whatever, Dean Rivers approached the lounge after a quarter of ongoing martial struggles.

Logan sensed that there was a bunch of trouble ahead, and he escaped through the back door.

The security guards finally achieved separating the sweating and bleeding fighters.

Dean Rivers coughed. 'Matthews! Garrett! I would not have thought that about you. But rules are rules. Come to my office, so I will decide on an appropriate punishment!'

Chase and James protested, but the security guards dragged them rudely away.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Michael Barret, Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Nicole Bristow (phone)

* * *

Michael was desperate. 'half an hour ago, James was in his cab half a mile from the campus entrance. He should be here by now.'

'Yeah, he should!' Quinn and Lola shrugged helplessly.

Suddenly, Lola's phone rang.

Lola shrugged. 'Maybe that's James, and he prefers flirting with girls rather than with Michael!' She giggled when she picked up the phone. _Of course James isn't worth it cheating on Drake..._ 'Lola Martinez... Nicole?'

Nicole Bristow grinned. 'Ooooh, Lola! It's me! I've just arrived for a campaign for Bristow juices. May I meet you somewhere in your lounge? Then I may show my top manager various sales possibilities.'

Lola nodded. 'Sure!'

Nicole grinned. 'OK, in ten minutes maybe?'

Lola agreed, as did Michael and Quinn. _James could call them in the lounge, as well._

Nicole jumped up and down with excitement. 'Oh, by the way, who is that cute tall blond rake that has just been arrested by Dean Rivers and his henchmen? That's uncool. How may you arrest a cute boy? Bad, bad, bad, bad, dean! The guy was cuuute, sooooo cuuuuute!' Swooning Nicole coughed with disgust.

Lola, Quinn, and Michael looked consternated.

Lola coughed. 'Michael, go and search for James, he fits perfectly Nicole's description.'

Michael had had the same idea. 'I'll report back to you... now go and meet Nicole in the lounge!'

The girls nodded wholeheartedly.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

Sushi Rocks

******People**:

* * *

Logan Reese, Dana Cruz, Kazu (background), many other pupils (background)

* * *

Logan was waiting at Sushi Rocks, as the French model was about arriving. He had ordered a particular table for the appointment. He had even bought a french dictionary, and underlined with liminescent colours all the seductive words he could think of. He wondered what the model was going to be like, while he practised all of his standard seductive phrases in French.

Kazu was serving the neighbour table.

At the same time, Logan heard a vaguely familiar, but almost forgotten voice.

'Logan?' boomed a dismayed girl's voice.

Logan turned his head around.

His heart froze to a block of stone.

'Dana?' He thundered with panic at the top of his lungs.

Dana wore a shirt with the official logo of Sophie Girard.

Logan could not believe it. _Dana was the top model sent by the fashion queen of Paris?_ He flang his dictionary across the bar, almost hitting Kazu, but actually slumping into a pot filled with dead fish and other disgusting orange stuff.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

office of Dean Rivers

******People**:

* * *

Dean Rivers, Beverly, Chase Matthews, James Garrett, various security guard

* * *

Dean Rivers was consternated. 'Violence at this school has never been tolerated, and will never be. What did you think when you...'

Chase and James accused each other of having started the fight.

Dean Rivers grunted, 'the whole mayhem lasted for over ten minutes, it doesn't matter who started or who just defended himself...'

James and Chase shrugged.

The headmaster continued, 'so, what was the reason for the fight?'

James shrugged helplessly.

Chase was tempted to talk about Zoey, but it was impossible for him to talk about her rejuvenisation. He was already deemed violent, being deemed insane would just have made everything worse.

Dean Rivers shook his head. He came to some conclusion. 'Mr. Garrett, you're just a guest here, and you have about our openness badly. Never ever dare to enter this campus as long as I'm still the dean. You've got it?'

James nodded solemnly while he sighed with terror.

Dean Rivers sentenced Chase Matthews to two months of suspension.

Chase was consternated. _In the hot phase of senior year, this meant that it was now impossible for him to graduate. In other words, he was as good as dead._

Rivers yelled at them, 'now go away! And I don't want to see youthat soon again!' He commanded his security guardsmen to kick James and Chase out of the admin building.

The security team did its job as rudely as only possible.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

out on the campus

******People**:

* * *

Nicole Bristow, Manager Mike[7:1], Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, James Garrett (later), various security guards (later), many pupils (background)

* * *

The girls had shown the manager across the campus.

Manager Mike confirmed that there were going to be plenty of sales possibilities for Bristow Juice on the campus.

Suddenly, Nicole saw James again.

Her eyes bugged out.

James was kicked brutally by the security team.

Quinn and Lola were consternated. 'Hey! What's going on?'

Nothing could dissuade the guards from executing the clear commands given by Dean Rivers.

Blushing Nicole was most disappointed. 'James! Call me! My number is...' She was still able to yell her long phone number at James before it was too late. Exhausted, she needed to be carried by her friends to 101 Brenner Hall.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Nicole Bristow, Quinn Pensky, Dustin Brooks, Lola Martinez, Michael Barret (later), Dana Cruz (later)

* * *

Dustin was disappointed when he had heard the story. 'So we may write James off the page, it seems!' He sobbed.

Quinn nodded sadly.

Lola also wondered where Chase had been all day long.

Michael walked in, exposing a grim face. 'It can't be possible. Chase and James fought over Zoey in the lounge, and now they are both punished severely. James is forbidden to reenter the campus, Chase is suspended, which practically means excuded from graduation.'

The girls gasped with consternation.

Nicole especially squealed with excessive agony.

Michael shook his head. 'And if I understand rumours correctly, Logan had even instigated the two of them...'

Dana entered 101. 'Logan is a jerk!'

Quinn, Lola, and Nicole were flabbergasted. 'Dana!' They threw their arms around their former friend.

Dana choked. 'I can't breathe!' A few minutes later, she told them about the reason for her model.

Nicole squealed. 'Really? A model?'

Dana nodded. 'Unfortunately, as a model, Logan sounds very promising, so I have to recommend him to my boss in Paris. It would be unprofessional and catastrophic to let this occasion escape, Logan's jerkish demeanour notwithstanding...'

Michael sighed with agony. But he had one last question for Dana and Nicole. 'OK, girls, you've been here four years ago... do you remember that girl?' He showed them a picture of Mindy Crenshaw on his laptop.

Nicole and Dana shrieked.

Then they explained that Mindy Crenshaw, using a different name, had been here on the campus back then and plagiarised Zoey's wonderful backpack design[7:2]. 'She was very angry when we spoiled her business.'

Michael gasped. _Why had his memory been more leaky than a sponge?_

Quinn banged her head against the wall. 'Zoey was now partially in the hands of her worst nemesis, it could not be any worse. Megan and Drake could not protect Zoey from Mindy if they even did not know that Mindy was dangerous for the toddler. The situation was hopeless, and only one person, as risky and absurd as it seemed, could save them: her scary half-brother Nevel Papperman...'

* * *

**Chapter 8 Nevel Comes To Town**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

one week later, Saturday morning

******Place**:

* * *

San Diego Belleview, in front of Drake's home

******People**:

* * *

Drake Parker, Megan Parker, Zoey Brooks

* * *

Drake tried to start the car in order to take Zoey to Malibu. 'Damn', there's something wrong.'

Holding Zoey tightly in her arms, Megan shrugged. 'I'm not exactly a grease monkey...'

Drake sighed deeply.

Megan scratched her head. 'Only one person is able to manipulate cars in all thinkable ways in order to cause troubles...'

Drake choked. 'Mindy the Creature!'[8:1]

Megan nodded solemnly. 'I bet she wants to prevent us from restaurating Zoey...'

Drake moaned, 'Dern, yeah, Michael's warning...'

Megan sighed sadly. 'We have to look for some other car...'

Drake agreed. 'We could steal Josh's car...'

Megan glared aghast. 'I'm sure Mindy has disabled it, too...'

Drake nodded. 'Sounds reasonable!'

Megan scratched her chin. 'Hey, our neighbours' boy goes to PCA. Maybe his mom will lend us her car if we use it to bring him something.'

Drake coughed. 'Which neighbour?'

Megan grinned, 'Robbie Carmichael!'[8:2]

Drake choked. 'Robbie is so annoyong...'

Megan shrugged, 'maybe...'

Drake finally decided to give it a try.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

apartment of the Carmichael family

******People**:

* * *

Mrs. Carmichael, Drake Parker, Zoey Brooks, Megan Parker

* * *

Drake greeted Robbie's mom.

Megan explained, 'Robbie has called us last night, he needs something from his tree house for a school project. So we decided to take it to him, but Drake's car is a bit crazy. That's why we ask you to lend us yours.'

Mrs. Carmichael coughed. 'Wow, that's totally nice of you, there's also some laundry I want to send him, but, uynfortunately... well, last noon, my car was all fine, but, in the evening, it refused to work, It will be at the greasemonkey's all week-end long...'

Megan coughed. _Dern Mindy..., she had thought of everything..._ 'Sorry! We have to look a bit further, it seems...'

Mrs. Carmichael nodded solemnly.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

front of the Parker house

******People**:

* * *

Drake Parker, Zoey Brooks, Megan Parker, Addie Singer

* * *

Drake and Megan were already desperate.

All of a sudden, a car halted next to their apartment.

Megan turned around, screamimg, 'Addie!'[8:3]

Addie had been often viositing her grandpa in San Diego, whence she befriended Megan, but only a few months ago had she moved into this area for good. Addie smiled. 'Look at my first own car!'

Megan was flabbergasted. 'Cool! A convertible!'

Addie beamed. 'Ok, do you want to make a short trip in my car with me?'

Megan coughed. 'No time except...'

Addie pouted. 'Except what?'

Megan grinned, explaining 'well, if Drake and the toddler may accompany us, and we go to Malibu...'

Addie choked. 'I like to go there, for sure...'

Drake smiled.

Addie wondered whether the toddler was Megan's or Drake's.

Drake and Megan cought.

Megan finally decided to tell Addie the long story.

Drake went to the Carmichaels in order to fetch whatever Robbie's mom wanted them to take to him.

Addie had got a hard time believing Megan's story, but she finally gave in, sighing deeply.

Drake came back.

Addie started the engines, and off they went.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, Michael Barret, Dustin Brooks (later)

* * *

Quinn and Lola had been all excited, because Nevel was coming to town in order to try to resaurate Zoey, with the help of Megan Parker as a medium.

Quinn had just tucked her cellular phone away. 'Too bad the Parkers will be late. Their car doesn't work, and they suppose that Mindy is behind that.'

'Obviously it's Mindy,' agreed Lola.

Quinn shrugged. 'They have tried to borrow the car of the mom of Dustin's friend Scooter, pretending that he had called them as he needed something for a school project. But it doesn't work, either, yet one of Megan's friends picked them up.'

Lola grinned.'Not good, not good!' She started quoting from Shakespeare's _Hamlet_.

* * *

Neither a borrower nor a lender be  
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,  
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.  
This above all: To thine own self be true,  
And it must follow, as the night the day.

* * *

Quinn grabbed Lola, thundering 'shut up!'

Lola shrugged helplessly.

Michael said, 'OK, now I've got to fetch that Papperman guy from the airport. I've heard he has got one of the greatest web-sites ever made by a tweenie!'

Quinn nodded proudly.

Lola shrugged. 'May I put my pics on that website? I want to be seen...'

Quinn grunted, 'we know that you want that, but Nevelocity is not a site for drama queens.'

Lola pouted.

Michael waved one last time.

Dustin stumbled in. 'Really? Nevel Papperman? How dare you to call that bastard...'

Quinn poued. 'Dustin? What the...'

Dustin stomped his feet violently. He thundered, 'That filthy creep has tried to destroy my favourite web-site, more than once.'

Lola wondered, 'your favourite web-site?'

Dustin nodded.

Quinn sighed. 'iCarly?'

Dustin cried, 'aw, you know it? and you still hire that bleeding freak?'

Quinn ordered Dustin to calm down. 'Now, if he can't restore Zoey, nobody can. I have to talk a serious word to Nevel about the conflict with Carly Shay, but don't dare to attack him. You'd probably just end up like Chase and James...'

Dustin lowered his head all ashamed.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

148 Maxwell Hall

******People**:

* * *

Logan Reese, Chase Matthews, Addie Singer (later)

* * *

Chase Matthews had never forgiven Logan to have him instigated to beat up James, and vice versa.

The atmosphere was totally toxic.

Chase was thoroughly depressed.

Logan made fun of him. 'And now Quinn fetched some other loser trying to restore Zoey...' He laughed manically. 'Whatever... Once I'm eighteen, I won't need school anymore, for I'm going to work as a top model in Paris, together with cool guys like Buckminsta, Olaf, Claus, Joszef, Mushnad, and Yurgin.[8:4]' Then he waved tauntingly at Chase, and he walked away. 'Bye-bye, PCA!'

Chase sobbed piteously.

Addie Singer walked in. She had heard that Chase had got an accoustic guitar, and she wanted to practice a few new songs she had written lyrics for. 'Are you Chase Bartholomew Matthews?'

Chase nodded sadly.

Addie found the guitar. She sat down next to Chase. 'May I use it?'

Chase grunted, 'do what you want, it doesn't matter anyway, anymore!' He started weeping,

Addie shrugged. 'Oops, I forgot a plectrum...' She removed a clip from herhair. 'I like my hair long and smooth, anyways, so... This shall now be my plectrum.' She started picking the chords,playing a popular Mexican tune.

* * *

De la sierra morena  
Cielito lindo  
Vienen bajando  
Un par de ojitos negros  
Cielito lindo  
De contrabando  
Ayayayayayay!  
Canta y no llores  
Porque cantando se alegran Cielito lindo  
Los corazones.[8:5]

* * *

Chase appeared to sigh with relief. 'Thanks, but who are you? And what are you doing here? I mean, not that it matters anyways, as my life is all but gone...'

Addie coughed. 'Oops... I'm Addie Singer. It's a bit strange, but...' She tried to tell Chase the story that brought her to PCA. 'Well, and Megan told Michael about my hobby, the accoustic guitar, he sent me straight hereto, for you have one... or so he said... well, apparently you do...'

Chase nodded. 'Obviously, and you've found it...'

Both of them were very clumsy.

Chase told Addie how much he was disappointed by Zoey and his friends. 'But my lack of confidence in them just has made it all worse.'

Addie sighed. 'I know that feeling. I have lost two boyfriends, Randolph Klein and Jake Behari, because I've been so terribly paranoid, and, worse, my best friends Zachariah Carter-Schwartz and Geena Fabiano. Do you want to here the song that I made when I was needlessly jealous, ultimately losing Randy? But the tune is terrible, I suck as a composer. I just love writing poems.'

Chase nodded, and he listened patiently to Addie's song. 'Cool! Well, I wrote a lot of songs about my Zoey, too... terrible ones. I can't compose, either, so Michael did it for me, but now he befriended with some James Garrett and allowed him to date Zoey, so it's over...'

Addie sighed. 'Not so cool...' She played with her hair.

Chase shrugged. 'But you're cool...'

Addie scratched her chin. 'Really? Thanks...' She kissed him flightily on the cheeks. 'Oops... sorry!'

Chase moaned, 'if this makes you feel sorry, why did it feel so good?' He hugged Addie heartily.

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Nevel Papperman, Zoey Brooks, Dustin Brooks, Megan Parker, Drake Parker, Michael Barret

* * *

Upon arrival, Quinn had had to talk some serious words to Nevel. 'OK, Nevel, now you promise unto Dustin that you won't terrorise _iCarly_ again, or you won't get a porcupine as a Christmas gift.'

Nevel grunted and moaned. But he followed his elder sister's rigorous commands.

Dustin accepted the promise, although he was not happy about not being allowed to beat him up.

Quinn introduced Nevel to the Parkers. 'Carly's cousin Megan will be your medium when you talk to the spirit of the locket...' She looked around. 'Lola, the locket!'

Lola gasped. 'Oops! Here it is!' She picked it from her closet.

Dustin grunted a bit.

Nevel unzipped his recorder. 'OK, you need to be silent when I play a tune to induce Megan's trance...'

Megan wanted him to play _Witches' Dance_ by Niccolò Paganini.

Nevel smiled. 'OK, do you play classic music, sing, or dance?'

Megan nodded, 'I play the oboe. We should play a woodwind duet?'

Michael wanted to play with his clack-clack balls.

Quinn grunted, 'not now! We've got a task to fulfill.' She placed the amulet right between Zoey and Megan. Then she grabbed Michael's toy and flang it into some corner. 'Scratch that nonsense!'

Michael pouted.

Nevel started playing.

Lola squealed insanely, as she was so excited.

Nevel grunted, 'we won't get anywhere with that neurotic wench interrupting all the time!'

Quinn sent Lola away. 'Come back in an hour!'

Lola wanted to protest, but she noticed Quinn's mighty wrist lasers.

Megan was finally in a deep trance.

Nevel asked Megan what she saw.

Megan stammered some incomprehensible syllables.

Nevel nodded, attempting to make sense from them. 'OK, the locket belonged to her mother's family, until...' Nevel gasped with terror.

Megan appeared deeply dismayed, too.

Nevel sighed. 'Sorry, it's too taxing for Megan. She needs a rest to get over with what she must just have experienced.'

Quinn sighed deeply. She pondered fast. 'Zoey's mom may have died when Zoey was still a toddler. This could have fully explained her current block. But then she was impossibly Dustin's mom. How was Dustin going to get over with this, should he ever draw this conclusion? That was going to be terrible. Something had to be done.'

Nevel woke up Megan. 'It's OK, you've been great!'

Megan sobbed piteously.

Nevel took her in his arms. _She was so much less bitchy than Carly._

Megan shed some tears. 'Thanks.' She had made some bad experiences with wannabe "prophets" who worked for sensationalism, being much less sensitive than the tweenie from Seattle. _Nevel was definitely different._

Nevel told Drake. 'You're her brother, and currently live with her, right?'

Drake nodded, plastering an embarassed grimace.

Nevel sighed. 'Megan may remember more details during the next days. Keep good care of her, and of what she says, will you? Or you're going to rue it, until dystopia are you going to rue it!'

Drake trembled. _Nevel spoke with power._

Dustin was still scared, but he had not yet come to Quinn's speculative conclusions.

* * *

**Chapter 9 Tomb Raider**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next Wednesday

******Place**:

* * *

Megan's room in San Diego Belleview

******People**:

* * *

Megan Parker, Zoey Brooks, Drake Parker (later)

* * *

Megan and Zoey were already asleep.

Megan wallowed painfully in her bed, and she started crying.

Apparently, the walls were thin enough to transmit a lot of noise...

Worried Drake bounded in, wondering 'Megan?'

Dazed Megan glared aloft. 'Awwww! It's you...'

Zoey woke up from the noise.

Drake took Zoey in his arms, and he sat down at the margin of Megan's bed. 'It's OK, I'm here.'

Megan sighed.

Her face was full of sweat.

Drake guessed what had been going on. 'You've dreamt about what Zoey must have seen, right?'

Megan nodded sadly. 'True. I saw her mom's funeral, and she wore the same very locket.'

Drake ruffled Zoey's hair. 'That must have been terrible for you.' Then he placed Zoey next to Megan's head in order to fetch a cup of water for Megan.

Megan tickled Zoey's belly, making her twitch and giggle.

Drake returned. 'Basically, it means that Zoey's mom died that early...'

Megan concluded, 'even over a year before Dustin was born... she can't be Dustin's mom.'

Drake tried to follow Megan's argumentations. He had got a hard time, but he finally succeeded. 'That will hurt Dustin.'

Megan sighed painfully. 'He will know it, sooner or later...'

Drake shrugged.

Megan remarked, 'I know that he is into our cousin Carly, because of her web-show.'

Drake didn't watch that "show for little kids", but he had heard that Carly made something like that. 'So, you think that Carly might help Dustin to get over that?'

Megan nodded carefully. 'I hope so.'

Drake wanted to call Carly and Lola on site, in order to communicate the breaking news, but Megan dissuaded him from doing so in the middle of the night.

Megan took one last pic of Drake playingb with dazed Zoey. 'That goes straight to Lola...'

Drake wondered why Megan was doing all that for him.

Megan explained, 'this will convince Lola and her friends that you can be a caring dad if you want to. See, when I was younger, I was proud because youy had so many girls...'

Drake gasped. 'Really?'

Megan grinned. 'Certainly! This changed when I had those horrible thing with Corey...'[9:1]

Drake sighed.

Megan explained that Lola was particularly suited for him, because both of them were ambitious and gifted starlets, and totally bubbly. 'You understand each other perfectly.'

Drake nodded.

Megan grinned. 'But for being a family, you must work hard, both of you. These pics document your great efforts.'

Drake smiled. 'I think that Nevel is so not like Corey.'

Megan coughed. 'Nevel and I? Is that what you think about?'

Drake grinned and nodded.

Megan tried to deny everything, but she wasn't very good at it, as she blushed repeatedly.

Drake grinned. 'With Corey, you just wanted to appear cool and boast how mature you already are, but with Nevel, it's different. It isn't about making out and stuff...'

Megan nodded solemnly. 'Certainly not. I've got enough of that sort of relationships... since Corey. It's more like... we inspire each other in the sectors of music and of magics.'

Drake sighed with relief. 'Too true!' He yawned before he returned to his bed.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next day, afternoon

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky , Drake Parker (phone)

* * *

Quinn had told Lola about her suspicions.

Lola didn't understand how serious the situation was. 'If Dustin and Zoey aren't siblings, Dustin won't ever come and sleepover in here and take pics of my bras and sell them on the interweb, right?'[9:2]

Quinn grunted, 'Lola!'

Lola shrugged carelessly.

Lola's cellular phone rang.

Lola picked it up. 'Lola Martinez...'

It was Drake. He talked about Megan's recent dreams.

Lola passed the phone to Quinn. But she had heard that she should check her mailbox for pictures of him and Zoey.

Quinn took over.

Minutes later, the message from San Diego was clear.

Quinn announced that Zoey had seen her mother being buried wearing that amulet.

Lola shrieked and squeaked like crazy.

Quinn concluded that someone must have taken the amulet from the tomb of Zoey's mom. 'That's so scary.'

Lola agreed wholeheartedly. 'Charles Galloway was really upset when Logan stole a locked from his tomb.'

Quinn concluded that the fear of the rise of her mom from her tomb, as an undead, was the proper cause for Zoey to stay a toddler.

Lola glared aghast.

Quinn pondered what to do about that.

Lola smiled. 'I know! We just have to return the locket to the tomb of her mom.'

Quinn woulsd have cheered, but she objected, 'fist, we don't know where here tomb is, sencond, unless it's somewhere out there in the barren wastelands, just as Charles Galloway's crypt in Redstone Gulch, we would be grave raiders.'

Lola squeaked with horror.

quinn sighed deeply. 'I kmnow that Nevel could lift the curse off the locket...'

Lola twitched with agony. 'Nevel? Him again?'

Quinn moaned. _It was so obvious that Lola and her other friends were against Nevel, as he scared them to death._ 'OK, if you want to get kidnapped by the ghost of Zoey's mom...'

Lola felt like petrified.

It was nowhere near an easy decision for Quinn.

Quinn also feared more and more for Dustin. _Zoey had already filed for guardianship over Dustin. But would Dustin accept her as a guardian if they weren't related? It was going to be such a shock for him... if there was only someone who would be there for him when he got to know about the disastrous news..._

Fortunately, there were now also good news:

Nicole's dad and Dean Rivers had agreed on a franchising contract for Bristow's juices.

This meant no more thirsting to death on the campus!

In addition, Logan had now got his belongings together for his trip to Paris, right by Dana's side. He still refused to let Dana know that he was very grateful for her efforts of getting him that dream job.

But maybe some day...

Quinn was a bit in a haste. 'I've got to prepare some plastic surgery on a woman from Seattle who comes to LA soon, one of her daughters studies here.'

* * *

**place**:

* * *

the Shay loft at Bushwell Plaza, Seattle

******people**:

* * *

Carly Shay, Drake Parker (phone), Fredward Benson, Samantha Puckett

* * *

Carly had picked up her phone. 'carly Shay... hi, Megan! What's up?'

Freddie and Sam glared around. 'Who is Megan?'

'My cousin from San Diego,' replied Carly before she continued talking to her relative.

Freddie and Sam had no reason for arguing, so they bickered just for bickering's sake.

Carly urged them to be silent. 'It appears serious!'

Freddie and Sam snuck away.

Carly was finally done. 'OK, Freddie, Sam, you may come back. It's like... Megan knows a fan of our show who is in a serious crisis, or will be when discovering that his "elder sister" is not really his sister.' Carly also told them about said sister, Zoey Brooks, having been reverted to a toddler.

Freddie and Sam laughed heartily, because that was impossible.

Carly shrugged. 'Whatever, I feel that we should help our loyal fans in critical moments...'

Freddie and Sam shrugged heartlessly.

Alas, Sam gasped. 'Did you say Zoey Brooks? And the name of the fan is Dustin?'

Carly shrieked. 'Indeed, Dustin Brooks... you know him?'

Sam went pale.

Carly and Freddie glared strangely at Sam.

Sam recovered slightly. 'Dustin Brooks is an ex-boyfriend of my twin sister Melanie...'

Freddie refused to believe that Sam had got a twin sister. 'Whom do you try to fool?'

Sam sighed. 'You don't have to believe me, OK...'

Carly tried to talk Freddie into believing, but it was in vain.

Sam said that her mom was soon going for a plastic surgery in a motel near Melanie's boarding school. 'If we come with her, you can even help your fan in person!'

Carly was a bit surprised.

Freddie announced to come with Sam. 'You can't fool me, I won't believe you that ypu've got a twin sister before I see the two of you together.'

Sam shrugged. 'If you really want to...'

Carly agreed. 'We've got to persuade our responsibles, though...'

* * *

**Chapter 10 Return Of Miss Perfect**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

a week later

******Place**:

* * *

a dirty motel room near Hollywood

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Ma Puckett, Melanie Puckett (later), Samantha Puckett, Carly Shay, Carly Shay, Fredward Benson

* * *

Quinn had already been waiting for her victim, Ma Puckett, the meanest woman of the West Side of Seattle, a person with no heart at all.

Finally, Carly, Freddie, and Sam arrived with the toughest lady of the state of Washington.

Ma Puckett lay down on a bench.

Quinn sharpened her surgical tools.

Carly wanted to run away, because she could not see too much blood.

Sam did not understand why.

Freddie sighed. 'quotI should have listened to mom...

Sam grinned. 'Too late, Fartwart!'

Freddie grunted, 'but where is your famous "twin sister"?' He grinned triumphantly.

The door went open.

Melanie Puckett walked in. 'Hi, mom! Oh, Sam! Are these your friends... er... Carly and Freddie?'

Freddie choked, coughed, gurgled, keeled over, and slumped to the ground withou mercy. He passed out upon hitting the bottom.

Carly was dismayed. 'Freak down! Freak dowm! Paiging Dr...'

Quinn grinned. 'Pensky... Quinndelyn Pensky.' She left Ma Puckett for a moment. 'Don't move!' Then she tried to wager some diagnosis.

Sam had got a better idea. She removed one of her shoes, then the corresponding sock, and she rubbed it into Freddie's face.

Disgusted by the stench, Freddie recovered. Still dazed, he cried, 'oh my god, there's really a Melanie.'

Melanie nodded.

Carly chuckled. 'If you kissed Freddie, he would belive it even more, for Sam would never do that.'

Sam fainted, as there was something she had not yet told Carly...[10:1]

Quinn continued stabbing and cutting Ma Puckett who showed no signs of feeling any pain.

Melanie shrugged. 'I'm engaged to Vince Blake, the quarterback of the football team of PCA, but if it helps Freddie to recover...' She kissed Freddie briefly.

Freddie sighed. 'Sam kisses better.'

Carly choked. 'What?'

Freddie was consternated. _Oh damn, did he have to fail in keeping his dirty mouth shut?_

Quinn needed to concentrate on her surgical activity. After twenty-five minutes, she was done. 'OK, your mom's nose is now half an inch higher than before.' She smiled with satisfaction.

Melanie congratulated Quinn. 'You're the best surgeon ever. Med school would just be a waste of time for you...'

Quinn grinned with glee.

Carly wondered where that Dustin guy was.

Quinn promised to take the gange from Seattle to Dustin. Alas, she was not pleased by the likelihood that they were stumbling upon Nevel Papperman.

Freddie was lucky that Carly was more concerned abouyt Melanie's ex-boyfriend than about his kiss with Sam, otherwise he would have been in terrible trouble by now.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

next day, morning

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Quinn Pensky, Lola Martinez, Zoey Brooks, Megan Parker, Nevel Papperman, Carly Shay, Dustin Brooks, Drake Parker

* * *

Quinn had gathered everyone in order to let Nevel remove the curse from the amulet.

Carly was flabberghasted when she saw Nevel.

Quinn stopped Carly. 'He's sorry, and he had to promise to never bother _iCarly_ again.'

Dustin smiled, but his face was still all crimson from the moment Carly had walked in.

Megan introduced Dustin to Carly. 'Since Melanie had introduced _iCarly_ to the kids over here, Dustin has been your biggest fan, but he has never been obnoxious with that, unlike Mandy Valdez. Now this ritual may reveal some things Dustin might not like, and I know that, as his idol to live up to, you are the most likely to be there to help him.'

Carly calmed down. She felt flattered. 'I am?'

Dustin wondered where Freddie and Sam were.

Carly explained that Melanie was showing them around on the campus.

Dustin smiled.

Drake lay Zoey on a table, so she could watch Nevel's deeds.

Nevel figured that Megan was ready. He picked his recorder. Then he played a tune from Mozart's _Requiem_.

Dustin shuddered. 'This sounds like a funeral...'

Lola smiled. 'Did I already tell you how I fooled Zoey and Nicole into thinking that I was a goth girl?'[10:2]

Drake grinned. 'Wow, they really swallowed it...'

As Drake and Lola giggled too much, they had to be sent away by Quinn.

Quinn explained that a person from Zoey's past needed to be put to rest for real, after her tomb had been broken into.

Carly held shivering Dustin instinctively tight. _Memories of her mom's death reappeared, which, according to Spencer, had occured right after her own birth._ Strangely, with Dustin nearby, she felt no fear.

Megan chanted along.

* * *

Iudex ergo cum sedebit  
Quidquid latet apparebit  
Nil inultum remanebit [10:3]

* * *

The locket, which Quinn had placed in front of Megan, started to glow strangely.

A green smoke billowed on the desk.

Finally, Zoey squealed, but she started changing.

Twenty minutes later, she was the young adult again that she had been before Quinn's experiment.

Dustin was glad that Zoey was back, but he did not know yet that she was not really his sister.

Alas, Zoey was not really menatlly fit. Rather, she suffered from some depression. Nevertheless, she thanked Megan for having put her mother to an eternal rest.

Dustin was now consternated.

As the session was over, Quinn allowed Drake and Lola to reenter.

Lola squealed with horror. 'Zoey!'

Carly needed to comfort Dustin more than ever. But now she wondered whether it was really true that her mom had died at her own birth. She needed to ask Spencer upon her return to Seattle. _Or maybe Nevel could help her? But why would he? He may have promised unto his sister to stay out of trouble, but that must aggravate him even more..._

Quinn sighed with relief, but they were still not done as long as Zoey was depressed. _Also, Carly could not stay here forever. How to deal with Dustin after her departure?_

Megan was exhausted, and she sank into Nevel's arms.

'Aw, cute,' concluded Drake.

Alas, cuteness was not of any help in that situation.

Time was hurrying, as Zoey's dad and her step-mom became more and more worried, the envoy of MadStyle was around the corner, and Zoey was still not mentally the same as she used to be.

Quinn wondered what to do.

* * *

**Chapter 11 Finale**

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

Thanksgiving break

******Place**:

* * *

101 Brenner Hall

******People**:

* * *

Zoey Brooks, Lola Martinez, Quinn Pensky, Drake Parker (later), Josh Nichols (later), Mindy Crenshaw (later), Craig Ramirez (later), Michael Barret (phone)

* * *

The following weeks, Zoey appeared physically normal, but she was still very sad.

Quinn and Lola were desperate.

Neither Lola's grimaces which she had learnt from her movies, nor Quinn's trombone play, were able to cheer Zoey up.

And it was now only a few hours until Mr. T. Jackson, vice president of madStyle Inc, one of bew York's giants of fashion business, was ready to interview Zoey for the chance of her life.

Zoey had particularly been unable to feature an outfit to wear during the interview.

Lola and Quinn had been forced to take care of many of Zoey's daily tasks, such as dressing, washing, cleaning up, and on and on and on it went.

Lola didn't really care, as she also had to go on a shooting of some music video with Drake Parker, produced by Gustavo Rocque.

Also her cousins Tammi and Tori were participating.

Quinn would have preferred doing more for her project for the science fair. But she had to submit it as it was, great, yet not supreme. And she really had to show it to Mindy.

Drake and Josh stumbled in. 'Hi!' The two of them had hardly talked to each other since the moment Drake had concluded that Mindy had been trying to undermine the restoration of Zoey.

Lola threw her arms around Drake's shoulders, and she jumped into his open arms. 'Wheeeeeeh!'

Quinn sighed. 'OK, I've received a message from Spencer Shay, guardian of Carly Shay. It is for Drake, but he wishes someone responsible like me to read it to you...'

Lola shrugged, 'Responsible?'

Quinn glared at Lola.

Zoey started to sob.

Drake shrugged.

Josh understood that Zoey could only sob. 'Chase runs away with Addie, that James guy with Nicole...'

Lola grunted, 'James didn't run away with her, she stalked him afterwards.'

Quinn sighed. 'Same difference!'

Drake wanted Quinn to start reading.

Quinn nodded. She took off announcing, 'There we are. Dear Drake, as you know, Carly has always believed me to be her elder brother. But that's a lie. I'm not.'

Drake gasped, 'what? Who are you?'

Quinn continued, 'really I am Carly's dad, and, what concerns you even more, also Megan's.'

Drake's heart was about exploding.

'What the...' yelled he at the top of his lungs.

Josh had a hard time calming Drake down.

Craig Ramirez stumbled in. 'Drake? Are yuu OK?'

Drake glared aghast.

Quinn continued, 'as of recent, Carly had started having doubts, and she wanted even to take your potion to find out, but I stopped her in time. Yet I can't withhold truth any longer. Yes, I was a dad at very early age, and carly's mom, her name is Paige Howard...' She choked and coughed. 'Paige Howard?'

Drake was still out of reach for any word of reason.

Josh took over for Quinn. 'Both I and Paige were still teenagers, as you may imagine, and thus completely unable to raise the twins. Grandpa decided to divide them, mom was caring for Carly, aunt Audrey — who had recently lost an unborn baby — for Megan. It's particularly hard to mention Paige to Carly, as Paige is the daughter of Carly's most hated teacher, Mr. Howard.'

Drake screamed.

Lola tried to calm Drake with smooches, but she was only partly successful.

Quinn protested, 'but Paige would have to be like thirty by now!'

Mindy stumbled in, grinning satanically. 'She is!'

Everyone glared at Josh's wife.

Mindy started explaining. 'Two years ago, I found Megan's mother. She was desperately looking for her lost youth. So I brewed some liquid to help her return temporarily to teenage...'

Quinn gasped. _Mindy had apparently been familiar with ther potion all the time. Paige's similarity with Carly and Megan was no accident, either, as she had been her rejuvenated mother._

Mindy continued, 'I needed to sneak another invention, my universal power converter, past Josh, because I knew that he was going to be upset again because he could not hold a candle to my genius...'

Josh twitched.

Drake burst into more anger. 'Aw you creature!'

Mindy explained that she had given Paige the key to her invention, and she informed her by means of a wireless connection and a micro chip. 'Then I wanted her to get back at Zoey Brooks and her friends, so I sent Paige to PCA, in order to cause some little thermonuclear incident.'

Josh twitched. 'Mindy? Are you insane?'

Mindy cackled demonically.

Josh was now more worried about Drake and Megan. 'Drke, promise that you will still care about Megan as much as before!'

Drake sobbed. 'OK. Little sister or a cousin one remote, that doesn't matter that much...'

Josh nodded.

Lola grumbled. 'You still need to tell Megan about it... adn someone has to tell that Carly girl.'

Quinn guessed that Dustin should do that. 'She helped him when he found out hard truths about his family, so he ill be there for her when it goes the other way...'

Josh grabbed Mindy. 'And you're going to Zoey and tell her how sorry you are for what you've done to her, or you will be really sorry, you've got it.' He shook her violently.

Mindy was flabbergasted. _Josh had always been easy to wrap around, why had he suddenly turned so aggressive?_ She couldn't help giving in. 'OK, Zoey, I'm sorry for everything...' She sobbed with terror.

Zoey accepted Mindy's apology, but she was still deadly depressed.

Quinn shrugged. 'OK, Zoey is still depressed.'

Suddenly, Quinn's cellular phone rang.

Quinn picked it up. 'QuinnP... oh Michael...'

Michael announced that the delegation from MadStyle had just arrived in malibu, and they were going to meet Zoey in like half an hour in _Sushi Rox_.

Quinn gasped. 'Only half an hour to get Zoey done!'

Mindy helped Lola adjusting Zoey's outfit. Then she had got an idea. 'One of the few moments when you got toddler Zoey to smile was when Craig sang a song for her, right?'

Lola nodded. 'I don't understand why Zoey would smile for such a dweeb...'

Quinn glared at Lola.

Craig shrugged. 'I may sing again for her, if it helps... now that Eric left me for that Stacey girl, nothing matters anymore.'

Drake was forced to back Craig up with his guitar.

* * *

Early one morning  
Just as the sun was rising  
I heard Zoey sing  
In the valley below.

Oh sweet is the garland  
And fresh are the roses  
I've plucked from the garden  
To place upon thy brow

* * *

Zoey listen up. 'Oh sweet... you must be a great romantic...'

Craig smiled, flattered all over.

Zoey grinned. 'What is your name?'

Craig replied, 'Craig Ramirez... I used to hang out with my close friend Eric Blonowitz all the time, but now he's counting stars and swabs forever with some Stacey Dillsen. Now I'm completely lost.'

Zoey smiled. 'Do you want to go to prom with me?'

Craig blushed totally. 'Sure ... why not!'

Zoey was finally back to good mood.

Quinn looked at her watch. 'A bit more than 15 minutes to go... Mr. Jackson is already waiting.'

* * *

**Place**:

* * *

_Sushi Rox_

******People**:

* * *

Michael Barret, True Jackson, Louise Johnson, Ryan Laserbeam, Zoey Brooks, Kazu (background), many random pupils (background)

* * *

Three teenagers looked around. They were apparently new here.

One of them addressed Michael. 'Sorry, I'm looking for some Zoey Brooks.'

Zoey showed up. 'That's me.' She noticed that the strangers wore shirts with the logo of _Mad Style_. 'Oh, hi, you must have been sent by Maximillian Madigan, right?'

The teenager nodded. 'I'm True, and these are my friends Ryan and Lulu.'

Ryan had snuck up to Kazu, asking him for some dead fish and other stuff.

Zoey smiled when she shook True's hands. 'So where is Mr. T. Jackson, the vice president?'

True coughed. 'I am True Jackson VP.'

Michael laughed hysterically. 'Have you drunk from Quinn's potion of rejuvenation? Right, you are much too young for being a Vice President.'

True shrugged. 'My teacher for chemistry, Mr. Jamisson[11:1] brews many strange potions that blow up or something, but you must be crazy. I'm really a teenager, and a VP'

Zoey didn't care. 'Sorry, Michael is a bit lunatic, just ignore him!'

Michael remarked sarcastically, 'thanks!'

True and Lulu nodded. 'We thought so.'

Thereupon, Zoey told to True about her fashion designs, just as if nothing bad had ever happened inbetween.

* * *

**Time**:

* * *

indefinite future

* * *

Carly was totally exhausted after shedding too many tears, but, fortunately, Dustin was there for her, as she had been for him. She came to the conclusion that nothing was really going to change between Spencer and herself, as there has nothing been changing in practice between Dustin and Zoey.

Zoey was accepted by _Mad Style_. She did not want to be a Vice President like True, but work her way up from the bottom to the top.

Zoey's parents were never going to know about anything that had happened in that critical time. # Lola and Drake were the new Hollywood superstars, collecting lots of awards such as Oscar's.

Chase did not need to graduate, he started working for the shop of Addie's dad, selling equipment for various athletes, such as jogging shoes and suits, hockey sticks, helmets for skaters, and so on.

Logan left Caliornia even before prom in order to live with his fiancé Dana in Paris, presenting Sophie Girard's latest collection for young athletic people.

Stacey Dillsen and Eric Blonowitz married right on prom night.

Quinn went to prom with Cal, but thereupon they had to flee underground together, because Cal's illegal business with radioactive materials and Quinn's illegal surgery were become well-known, and they were wanted by the FBI.

Megan had got much less problems with her new situation than anyone else.

Nevel had taught her that all those problems with family and stuff had only started with their physical birth. 'We should remember the times before, when we existed as ideal beings, unencumbered by earthly life, and where we may return to once everything is over.' He took his hand-carved wooden recorder, playing a merry tune.

Megan smiled when she sang along.

* * *

...  
Over in the glory land  
We join the happy angels band  
Over in the glory land

Over in the glory land  
With the mighty host we stand  
Over in the glory land[11:2]

* * *

**_The End_**

* * *

** 1:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Chasing Zoey_

**1:2**:

* * *

name taken from cartoon _Spongbob Squarepants_ which I don't own

**1:3**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _New Roomies_

**1:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Zoey's Tutor_

**1:5**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Quarantine_

**1:6**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Girls will be Boys_

**1:7**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iSaw Him First_

**2:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Favor Chain_

**2:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Son Of A Dean_

**2:3**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Lola likes Chase_

**2:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _iHatch Chicks_

**2:5**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Hot Dean_

**2:6**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iWant To Win A Car_

**2:7**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iFight Shelby Marx_

**3:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Girls Will Be Boys_

**3:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Zoey's Tutor_

**3:3**:

* * *

cartoon which I don't own

**3:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Son Of A Dean_ et al.

**3:5**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Spring Fling_

**3:6**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iAm Your Biggest Fan_ — three common actors

**3:7**:

* * *

from _The iCarly Show_ : _iGo Nuclear_

**3:8**:

* * *

from various toon series by Walt Disney which I don't own

**3:9**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Paige At PCA_

**4:1**:

* * *

cf. _True Jackson VP_ : _Back To School_

**4:2**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iSaw Him First_, family name is constructed from James Diamond, same actor's rôle in _Big Time Rush_

**4:3**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Bad Girl_, here identified with Melanie Puckett from _The iCarly Show_ : _iTwins_

**4:4**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Jet-X_

**4:5**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Miss PCA_

**5:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Curse At PCA_

**5:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Paige At PCA_

**5:3**:

* * *

cf. _Drake and Josh go Hollywood_

**6:1**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Curse At PCA_

**7:1**:

* * *

occasional cameos in _Unfabulous_

**7:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Backpack_

**8:1**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Honor Council_

**8:2**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Treehouse_, here identified with Scooter from _Zoey 101_ : _Favor Chain_

**8:3**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Honor Council_ — here identified with Addie Singer from _Unfabulous_ by same actress

**8:4**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iCarly Awards_

**8:5**:

* * *

from the brown mountains, oh bonnie little sky, a pair of eyes , oh bonnie little sky, comes sneaking down. Ayayayayaya, sing,and don't weep, for singing, oh bonnie little sky, turns people happy.

**9:1**:

* * *

cf. _Drake & Josh_ : _Megan's First Kiss_, here identified with Chase's unportrayed, anonymous kung-fu-fighting cousin mentioned in _Zoey 101_ : _Great Vince Blake_

**9:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Drippin_

**10:1**:

* * *

cf. _The iCarly Show_ : _iKiss_

**10:2**:

* * *

cf. _Zoey 101_ : _Back At PCA_

**10:3**:

* * *

thus when the judge takes his seat, everything hidden will be revealed, and nothing will be spared from punishment

**11:1**:

* * *

cf. _True Jackson VP_ : _True's New Assistant_

**11:2**:

* * *

song by James Acuff which I don't own 


End file.
